Hollywood is constantly releasing movies that nobody asked for. In a world where live action remakes and legacy sequels run amok, somebody thought it would be a good idea to release a sequel/reboot of a franchise that saw its final movie over 31 years ago. Somebody dug into the files of the Police Squad to give audiences another Naked Gun.
Taking the reins and namesake of Frank Drebin Jr is Liam Neeson. He’s a take-no-prisoners cop who blindly manages to solve crimes even when he shouldn’t be able to. In the movie, he’s investigating a potential murder, which gets him involved with Beth Davenport (Pamela Anderson). Together, they both look into the nefarious crimes of tech genius, Richard Cane (Danny Huston).
Frank lives in a world that seemingly follows our laws of physics and societal norms, but he and Beth share one brain cell between them, and that benefits them in regards to their own survival.
I was so split going into this movie, as it felt like it could be a lazy retread of a long dead franchise that felt like it could only exist in a simpler time. Yet, it’s hard to not be excited for a full-blown comedy on the big screen. Comedy has gone largely streaming-based and almost meant to be viewed in the background as you’re scrolling your phone. The Naked Gun is the kind of experience, where if you look away for a few seconds, you’ve missed a hilarious gag.
Here’s the crazy thing about the new Naked Gun. It’s honesty hilarious. And yes, comedy is completely subjective. Yet, there’s so much happening within each scene that it has the potential to please humor lovers of all types. There’s plenty of slapstick, joke callbacks, and puns.
This fits right alongside the vibe of the previous movies, but without just retreading the same jokes (I’m looking at you Happy Gilmore 2). Liam Neeson works perfectly because he’s so similar to Leslie Nielsen. Both actors play their roles so seriously, and that’s why the mayhem they cause feels so unforced. Pamela Anderson is perfect for her role. She’s in on the joke and is the perfect pairing for the overly serious Drebin. Obviously, she is reminiscent of Priscilla Presley’s performance, but she does it with much more humor.
Danny Huston doesn’t get enough credit as a character actor, who has largely been a villain throughout his career. He has all the flair of a Bond villain, but has to keep the straight face while facing down essentially a bumbling goof.
I should be upset that the story is filled to the brim with tropes and borrows plots from other movies, but also, this is not a movie about a story. The plot may be the fragile dish where the jokes are contained, but thankfully they are delicious.
I haven’t laughed that hard at a movie since 2018’s Game Night. The Naked Gun either had me guffawing, guiltily chuckling, or smiling. I’m curious to see how it ages with further rewatches, but I’m actually excited to watch it again and find out. Also, it’s a comedy under 90 minutes, so that alone gives it a half letter grade bump. B+
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